Prefabricated building



Sept. 27, 1938. J. c. ESTES 2,131,463

PREFABRICATFD BUILDING Filed oct. 29, 1937 2 sheets-sheet 1 Tr/ORNEX J. C. ESTES PREFABRICATED BUILDING Sept. 27, 1938.

Filed oct. sa, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVENTOR Jbae/o/z C. f5 fes. fy(

ATT RNEY Patented sept. 27, 193s PATENT OFFICE;

I .2,1."-.1,463.v Y PEEFABRIOATEU BUILDING.

Joseph- C. Estes, Woonsocket, R. I., assignor to Y Austin T. Levy, Harri'sville, R. I.

Application October 29, .1937, Serial No. 171,790

1ev claims.

I Myinvention relates to prefabricated buildings,

In such buildingshaving walls` formed ofU insulating panels carrying reenforcing rodsY and anchoring material for outer and inner coatingsof ,5f stucco and plaster, diiiiculty has been experienced in fastening the jambs of the door frames tothe wall panel members and to the other members of the frame to form a tight construction which will suitably receive a swinging door, while satisfactorily positioning the frame relative to the panels, rods and anchoring material and suitably coating the latter around the frame. These difficulties have been especially marked in metal frame constructions when there also hasbeen diiiiculty in eliminating `the noise occasioned Whenever the door strikes the jamb. Ifhus, a1- though metal frames havebeen found to be more desirable than wooden frames under certain conditions, it has been found difficult to obtain satis- 20 factory results in using such-metal frames.

My invention has among its objects to eliminate the above difficulties and to provide an improved door frame construction especially adapted to use in such prefabricated walls. A further objectof my invention is to provide an improved metal frame whereby it is possible to obtain the above advantages. while also. maintaining the shape of the jambs so as to receive a. door to close thev opening in the frame and always permit easy'swinging ofthe door. A further'object of my invention is'to provide means for quieting the closing of the door against the metal'frame A still further object of my invention is to provide ametalframe which may be assembled ina wall opening with a minimum of labor and at a low cost. These'and other objectsand advantages of my. improved construction will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

y In the accompanying drawings, I` have shown ,40 for purposes of illustration` one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings'- Figure 1 is an elevational view of a househavingl a doorway of my improved construction;

.45 Fig. 2 is an enlarged view ofthe doorway and the enclosing panel members, the stucco, being omitted to show the location of reenforcing rods on the panelmembers;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the line 3--3 of Figure 1, the intermediate portion being broken to facilitate illustration;

Fig. 4 is a like enlarged sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, showing a section through one vertical jamb and part of the wall structure;

55 Fig. 5 is a partial elevational view of the door frame showing the anchoring means by which the same is held within the wallv panel,A and Fig, 6 isa sectional vplan View onthe line 6-6 of Figure 5 showing theupper anchoring means.

61) In this illustrative construction, it will benoted (Cl. 'l2-98) that a doorl lis .assembled within a frame 2 to enclose an aperture within the door panel unitY structure 3. As shown in Figure 2, the door panel isy of a usual panelV type and comprises side portions 4.and top and bottom portions 4a,` 4b made up. of suitable insulating material such as Insulite, or wall board, the outer edges of the side panels 4 and the ends of the top and bottom panels 4a, 4b being. received in vertical half studs inthe form of channels 5 arranged in back to back relation and having the side edges of panels of adjacent units` received in the oppositely. disposed channels and the top and bottom edges" of portions 4a, 4b received` in channels 5a, Eb'i'n which the studs 5 are carried in a usual manner. On the outer surface of the wall board are usual sheets 6 of wire mesh for supporting the plastering and stucco nish of the wall, and the wire mesh is spaced from the wall board by usualjspaced rods,attention being directed to the factv that one suchrod 1 herein is disposed on each side of each side panel 4 between the adjacent channel 5l and the door frame 2. Short rods 1a and 'lbrare employed over. the outer surface of panely members 4a; 4b, the rods 'la being at the top andrreceived in the top channel 5a and supportedat their lower ends on top edges of channel 8 while the lower rods 1b are similarly disposed relative to channels 5b' and 9.,

In my improved construction, a metal frame work 2` forms a casing and jamb for the door I. As a supporting means for this new metal frame 2 and for the panel' 4a above andpositioning means for the panel. 4b below the door opening, I prefer to employ oppositely disposed channel members 8 and. 9l having a web slightly smaller in width than that of the web of the channel studs 5, both members 8 and 9 herein being inserted therein and attached to the flanges of the channel studs 5 by pins lll or other suitable means. herein of wood, over the lower supporting channel 9" and fasten it thereto by means of nails or spikes I2 before the channel 9 is placed in position, this sill member thus being supported by the channel studs 5 through the channel member 9. By cutting out an area I3 from the panel 4 above the channel member 9, as heretofore, I am also abl'eto insert the ends of the sill I'I. into this area, the outer edges of the sill being notched y I also place a formed sill member Il,

away, as. at Il', Iso that the rods pass by the same and extend downwardly to the lower channel, being bent outwardly to pass by the side of the member 8. member Il also project under and laterally beyond the side jambs hereinafter described and the side portions 4 of insulating board terminating above the ends of channel 9, while the bottom insulating panel 4b is received within the channel 9 and extends beyond the sill so that its As shown, the ends of this sill Further, in accordance with my invention, the

frame 2 is comprised of three units, identical side jamb units I4 and an overhead lintel unit I5.

Each side jamb unit I4 I vprefer to fabricate from a channel-like member which has a usual jamb section or offset I6 for receiving the edgeof the door, and inwardly turned ends II 'at the extremities of the flanges. The member I4 is preferably of sufiicient width to extend slightly beyond the stucco and plaster wall surfaces when they have been applied to the panels 4, at which time the inwardly turned edges I'I Will extend under the surface ofthe finished walls and present an edge of attractive appearance. At suitable intervals over the length of the casing, reenforcing straps I8'are also herein employed to hold the side frame unit III in vertical alignment with respect to the edge of the panels 4, the reenforcement straps being inthe form of channels closely tting the end and side surfaces of the panels 4 and having their flanges bent outwardly so as to rest within the turned edges I'I of the jamb unit I4, to which edges the flanges of the straps I8 are welded or otherwise bonded. Within the extending portion or jamb I6 of the member I4, I place a strip I9 of Insulite or other material similar to that used for the wall boards, and the strip I9 is held between the straps I8 and the member I4 so as to provide a filling means for the jambs and in cooperation with the panel 4 in the straps I8, to dea'den sound when the door is closed against the jamb.

In order to support the side` jamb I4 within the aperture of the wall panels, upon the sill II and under the metal channel 8, I provide brackets or angle members 20 and 2I. 'I'he lower bracket 2B is suitably Welded or fixed to the bottom end of the jamb member I4, and one leg of the bracket 2I is similarly attached to theupper end of the jamb member. When the jamb'member I4, together with the straps I8 and brackets 20 and 2 I, is placed in position and firmly driven against the edge of the wall board panel 4, the lower leg of the bracket 20 extends through the cut out area I3 and rests against the sill II. Holes are also provided in the bracket 20 so that the latter may be Xed to the sill by nails 22 which may be driven in from outside the panel 4. The upper end of the jamb member I4 is beveled or mitered in a manner so as to match with a similar beveled edge of the lintel member I5.

This member I5 is in the form of a channel of similar cross section to the jamb member I4, having an abutment portion against which the door strikes and within this abutment the upper channel member 8 is enclosed. In assembling the frame, the lintel member I5 is placed in position, and the bracket 2I is then in readiness to be fastened to the upper channel member 8, the fastening being accomplished in this instance by means of a nut and bolt 23 passing through cooperating openings in the channel member and the bracket. After the frame 2 has been assembled and placed in position, the inner and outer wall surfaces may be applied, the plaster and stucco or other material passing inside the channel like area of the jamb member I4 and serving further to hold the same in position. The

sheet of wire mesh 6 on the inner surface of the panel is turned inwardly at the edge, herein, to increase the strength of the plastering where the jamb and plastering interlock, while the wire mesh 6 on the outer surface may also be turned at the edge within the jamb if desired.

' i At the bottom of the door I have shown a bent metal plate 24, which is made to conform with the bottom surface of the door when the latter is cut away toward the outer side adjacent the sill. It is desired to cut away the door in this manner so as to place a weather strip fitting within the area cut away from the bottom of the door and abutting against the plate 24 when the door is closed. The outer edge of the sill may also be further supported by an upright member 26 shown' in VFigure 3, although this member may be omitted, as shown in Figure 1, if desired.

As a result of my improvement, it will be noted that not only is the cost of the door frame materially reduced, but also the ease and speed of assembling the frame are increased. Further, it will be observed that the parts of the frame work, when disassembled, may be piled together and readily handled. Note further that the improved frame work results in a door frame which is long-lived and of improved utility both from ease of construction and from the low expense of the'same. Attention is also directed to the elimination of undesirable noise, usually resulting from the use of metal construction. In this connection it will be noted that the metal jamb units I4 and the lintel I5 are supported along their entire length by the sound-deadening Insulite panels 4 and 4a, and further that the jamb units I4 are connected by a wooden sill member II while the flanges of these jamb units and lintel are lled'with plaster or other cementitious coatings, and the strip I9 still further deadens the sound when the door is closed against the jamb. A

These and other advantages of my improved construction will be more apparent to those skilled in the art.

While I 'have in this application specically described one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modied and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

WhatV I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In aprefabricated closure unit, a unit frame having spaced vertical side channels and top. bottom and side pane-ls spaced to present an aperture, a closure frame in said aperture supported on said side channels, and spaced panel locating members on the sides of said closure frame receiving the adjacent edges of said side panels.

2. In a prefabricated closure unit, a unit frame having spaced vertical side channels and top, bottom and side panels spaced to present an aperture, a closure frame in said aperture supported on said side channels, spaced panel locating members on the sides of said closure frame receiving the adjacet edges of said side panels, and anchoring means on said panels including spacing rods on said side panels between said channels and saidV spaced members.

3. In a prefabricated closure unit, a unit frame having spaced vertical side channels and top, bottom and side panels spaced to present an aperture, and a sheet metal' closure frame supported on said vertical channel members having top, bottom and side members and sheet metal channel forming means therein receiving the adjacent edges of said panel members and outer sheet metal trim forming flanges.

4. In a prefabricated closure unit, a unit frame having spaced vertical side channels and top, bottom and side panels spaced to present an aperture, and a metal closure frame supported on said vertical channel members having channel forming top, bottom and side members receiving the adjacent edges of said panel members, and outer trim forming liange members having inturned ends adapted to be embedded in cementitious coatings on said panel members.

5. In a prefabricated closure unit, a unit frame having spaced vertical side channels and top, bottom and side panels spaced to present an aperture, and a metal closure frame supported on said vertical channel members having spaced channel forming top, bottom and side members receiving the adjacent edges of said panel members, and outer trim forming flange members, the vertical members of said closure frame having said first mentioned channel forming members supported on the extremities of said trim forming flanges.

6. In a prefabricated door panel construction, the combination of vertical and horizontal panels forming an aperture for the frame, upright channels receiving the outer edges of all of said panels, horizontal channels receiving the upper and the lower edges of diierent horizontal panels and fastened to said upright channels, and a door frame supported in said aperture having a sill resting on the lower horizontal channel, a lintel carrying said upper horizontal channel therein, and jamb members connected between said lintel and sill and receiving the adjacent edges of said vertical panels therein.

7. In a closure for prefabricated buildings, a frame having parallel jamb members having trim flanges adapted to extend beyond adjacent wall surfaces and inwardly turned edges on said flanges, and reenforc-ing members spaced along the lengths of said jamb members and shaped to receive the edge of an adjacent wall surface carrying member and fastened to said inturned edges of said flanges. K

8. In a closure for prefabricated buildings, a frame having parallel jamb members having trim anges adapted to extend beyond adjacent wall surfaces 'and inwardly turned edges on said flanges, reenforcing members spaced along the lengths of said jamb members and shaped to receive the edge of an adjacent wall surface carrying member and fastened to said inturned edges of said flanges, and a member extending longitudinally inside one of said jambs and passing between said jamb and the reenforcing members thereon to deaden the sound of a closure member when striking said jamb.

9. In a closure for prefabricated buildings, a jamb member having trim anges adapted to extend beyond the adjacent wall surfaces and inwardly turned edges on said flanges, and reenforcing means shaped to received the edge of an adjacent wall member and fastened to the inturned edges of said flanges.

10. In a closure for prefabricated bulidings, a jamb member having trim flanges adapted to extend beyond the adjacent wall surfaces and inwardly turned edges on said flanges, reenforcing means shaped to receive the edge of an adjacent wall member and fastened to the inturned edges of said anges, and a member extending longitudinally inside said jamb and passing between the latter and said reenforcing means todeaden the sound of a closure member striking said jamb.

1l. In a closure for prefabricated buildings, a jamb member of channel shape, spaced reenforcing members holding said jamb member in spaced relation` from the edge of the wall, a lower bracket fastened to said jamb member and having a leg for securing the same to a sill, and an upper bracket fastened to the jamb member and having a leg for securing the same to a lintel member.

12. A prefabricated Wall unit for buildings including .a panel of sound deadening material having an aperture therein, a closure frame of metal in said aperture having jamb units, and sound deadening supporting means for said metal frame including portions of said frame engaging the edges of said panel material along the length of said jamb units. f

13. A prefabricated unit for buildings including a panel of sound deadening material having an aperture therein, a closure frame of -metal in said aperture having jamb portions, a closure in said frame adapted to engage said jamb portions, and means for deadening the engagement of said closure -with said metal jamb portions including exterior channels on said frame receiving the edges of said panel material along the length of said jamb portions.

14. A prefabricated wallunit for buildings including a panel of sound deadening material having an aperture therein, a metal frame for the margins of said aperture comprising spaced vertical members and a transverse lintel member, each having jamb portions, connecting means for the lower ends of said vertical members including a Wooden sill member, a closure in said frame adapted to engage the jamb portions thereof, and means for supporting said frame vin l said aperture and deadening the engagement of said closure with said jamb portions including means yalong said frame members for receiving the edges of said panel material therewithin.

15. A prefabricated unit for buildings including a panel having an aperture therein and carrying anchoring material for a cementitious coating on a face thereof, a closure frame in said aperture including spaced vertical members and a transverse lintel member, each having a jamb portion and an outwardly extended flange portion spaced from the face of said panel, and Aa coating of cementitious material on the face of said panel filling the space between said panel and the flange portions of said frame members.

16. A prefabricated unit for buildingsincluding a panel having an aperture therein and carrying anchoring material for cementitious coatings on the opposite faces thereof, a closure frame in said aperture including spaced vertical members and a transverse lintel member, each having a jamb portion .and outwardly directed flanges spaced from and overlying the anchoring material on said panel forming exterior channels, frame supporting means along the length of said frame members receiving said panel, and coatings of cementitious material on the faces of said panel filling said exterior channels and embedding the outwardly directed flanges of said frame members.

JOSEPH C. ESTES. 

